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Artwork for Switched on Pop

Switched on Pop

Vulture
Pop Music
Hip Hop
Country Music
Music Industry
Taylor Swift
Madonna
Spotify
Billie Eilish
Tiktok
Sabrina Carpenter
Reggaeton
Beyoncé
Billboard Hot 100
Oasis
Electronic Music
Chappell Roan
American Music
Tate Mcrae
Robyn
Kendrick Lamar

Listen closer to pop music — hear how it moves us. Hosted by musicologist Nate Sloan & songwriter Charlie Harding. From Vulture and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes527Founded12 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
MusicMusic InterviewsMusic Commentary

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Artwork for Switched on Pop

Latest Episodes

Hrishikesh Hirway, host of Song Exploder, returns with his first album in fifteen years, In the Last Hour of Light, made under a premise that's almost contradictory for a podcaster built around isolated stems: session players who had never heard the ... more

BTS is back. The best selling K Pop group of all time has been on hiatus for four years. They haven’t released an album in six. They were once the biggest band in the world. Can they regain their throne? Or has the world moved on. Leaning on traditio... more

Ten years ago, Maggie Rogers was a senior at NYU, scrambling to finish a song for a music production class she was close to failing. The guest critic that week happened to be Pharrell Williams. She played him "Alaska," a track she'd written in about ... more

Train is the kind of band that some people love to hate. Songs like "Meet Virginia" and "Hey Soul Sister" gave the band huge hits, and no small amount of snark. And then there's "Drops of Jupiter." Released in 2001, the song is almost impossible not... more

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Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Hye Jin Lee
Clinical associate professor of communication at the USC Annenberg School
University of Southern California (USC)
Episode: BTS is back. But K Pop is not the same.
Maggie Rogers
Musician and activist featured on the episode
Musician, visiting artist at NYU (as discussed)
Episode: Maggie Rogers: going viral is a trap
Pat Monahan
Lead singer and songwriter of Train
Train
Episode: Learning to Love Train: "Drops of Jupiter" is back in the atmosphere
Jacob Collier
Musician, composer, and educator
Independent (artist)
Episode: Jacob Collier can make anyone sing
Fran Hoepfner
Wrote an article titled The Death of the Classic Film Score.
Vulture
Episode: Will Sinners do for blues what O Brother did for bluegrass?
Chris Duffy
Host of the TED podcast, How To Be A Better Human, and author of Humor Me, How Laughing Can Make You More Present, Creative and Happy.
TED podcast
Episode: Does humor belong in music?
Audrey Hobert
A rising pop artist and songwriter who co-wrote hits for Gracie Abrams and released her own debut album.
Independent Artist
Episode: Audrey Hobert says the quiet part out loud
Amy Allen
Acclaimed songwriter known for hits with artists like Halsey and Harry Styles.
Episode: Why pop songwriters break the rules (ft. Amy Allen)
Marc Rebillet
A music artist known for his improvisational style.
Episode: "It’s a Hail Mary every time" (ft. Marc Rebillet)

Hosts

Nate Sloan
Musicologist and host; co-host of the show, often leads musical analysis and industry context discussions.
Charlie Harding
Songwriter and host; brings songwriting perspective and lyrical analysis to episodes.
Reanna Krauss
Producer and content collaborator; often features guest analysis and helps shape episode structure.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 5.5k ratings
  • 🩷

    I love this podcast but I wish they did a episode on Megan moronies newvalbum cloud 9!!

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Wrestling Queen! 🤼‍♀️
    United Statesa month ago
  • Artist Recommendation

    Could you please do Em Beihold? She has a new album and it is bomb. Good pod. 😎

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    🥸🏳️‍🌈♓️🥖💜🎭👻🧀
    United States2 months ago
  • Intelligent and enthusiastic

    If you love listening to people who know their stuff getting excited about a topic then give this a listen. They regularly surprise me by making me super interested in an artist or genre I’ve never listened to before, simply by being thoughtful, playful and passionate about music.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    PaulineFossil
    United Kingdom3 months ago
  • ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

    Love it! Please do KATSEYE, or other K-pop girl groups

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Soph_5678
    United States3 months ago
  • The Sounds of Silence

    I find when I’m grieving silence sounds unbearably loud.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Innocentbystander22
    United States3 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners praise deep musical knowledge and engaging banter between hosts.
Fans want more coverage of non-US pop and K-pop but still rate the show highly for expertise.
Many appreciate thoughtful deep dives that illuminate production choices in pop hits.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

BTS is back. But K Pop is not the same.
Q: Hye Jin, what was your reaction when you heard this album title and heard this interpolation of this Korean folk song in the opening track of the album?
Hye Jin explains that using Arirang as a framework creates a bold, high-visibility through-line that anchors the album in Korean heritage while still opening space for global, contemporary pop influences. She notes the careful balance BTS strikes between tradition and modernity, and how the interpolation signals intentional Koreanness in a world-ready package.
Learning to Love Train: "Drops of Jupiter" is back in the atmosphere
Q: Did you ever imagine Drops of Jupiter would have this kind of longevity?
No, never. We didn't expect it to last this long, and the success came with its own set of pressures and expectations, which shaped how we approached future music and public reception.
Learning to Love Train: "Drops of Jupiter" is back in the atmosphere
Q: Charlie, I'm going to name some things and you tell me what they make you think of, okay?
Things like Mozart, Taibo, fried chicken and the best soy latte you've ever had evoke a mixture of nostalgia, specificity, and personal anchors that inform the song's grounded storytelling, ultimately contributing to its lasting resonance.
Will Sinners do for blues what O Brother did for bluegrass?
Q: Will Sinners or another contemporary film have the same effect that some of these movies we've been discussing could in the sense that will everyone start playing Delta Blues after watching Sinners?
Yes, it could inspire a resurgence in blues music similar to past films.
Does humor belong in music?
Q: If humor in fact does belong in music, I'd like to better understand how and why artists deploy it in their songs.
I think that kind of cleverness and that wittiness is a lot of what makes great songs great.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Switched on Pop

What is Switched on Pop about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The show offers in-depth explorations of pop music through a blend of scholarly analysis and practical industry insight. Across episodes, hosts dissect contemporary releases, discuss production techniques, and trace how artists balance innovation with mainstream appeal. It frequently features conversations with songwriters, producers, and artists, offering listeners a nuanced view of songwriting decisions, sonic textures, and genre crossover dynamics. A standout trait is the consistent, data-informed approach to pop, paired with approachable storytelling and a sense of humor that keeps complex topics engaging for music-minded professionals and curious fans alike.

Where can I find podcast stats for Switched on Pop?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Switched on Pop. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Switched on Pop and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Switched on Pop get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Switched on Pop, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Switched on Pop?

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How many subscribers and views does Switched on Pop have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Switched on Pop has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Switched on Pop?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Switched on Pop:

1. Popcast
2. Song Exploder
3. Pop Culture Happy Hour
4. The Sam Sanders Show
5. Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia

How many episodes of Switched on Pop are there?

Switched on Pop launched 12 years ago and published 527 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Switched on Pop?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Switched on Pop?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Switched on Pop from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

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Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Switched on Pop. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Switched on Pop?

Recent guests on Switched on Pop include:

1. Hye Jin Lee
2. Maggie Rogers
3. Pat Monahan
4. Jacob Collier
5. Fran Hoepfner
6. Chris Duffy
7. Audrey Hobert
8. Amy Allen

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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